Door-closing device.



R. S. UUMMINGS.

DOOR GLOSING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED DEO.26, 1907.

Patented N0v.3,1908.

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nmrEn STATES PATENT oration REUBEN S. CUMMINGS, OF WEST NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 3, 1908.

Application filed December 26, 1907. Serial No. 408,137.

' act description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to devices for closing doors, and has for its object to provide a device of this kind which may be quickly and effectually operated by a vehicle when passing out of the door.

The use of my invention is particularly desirable in fire engine houses, police stations, and automobile garages, and wherever doors require immediate closing after a call.

Herein is described an embodiment of my invention, and while I have therein described minute details, it is to be understood that these are merely illustrative and may be con siderably' varied as to arrangement and proportion without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

In the annexed drawings, forming a part of this specification and in which like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views, Figure 1 is a front view of my device showing all of the parts except the doors to be closed, and the attachment for the vehicle hub, the chains leading to these parts being shown broken; Fig. 2 is an en larged front view of the actuating cylinder support and the parts thereon; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same; Fig. 4 is an enlarged front elevation of the plug cock opening device, showing the cock closed; Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the same, showing the cock open; Fig. 6 is alongitudinal sectional view of the door weight releasing device, showing the cylindrical supporting block and the pawl in elevation Fig. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of the tripping crank; Fig. 8 is a pers ective view of the spring hub clasp; and ig. 9 is a side elevation showing the same as applied to the hub of a wheel.

As shown, my device is provided with an actuating cylinder, 1, fastened as by straps, 2, to a support, 3,.-said support being fastened in a convenient manner to a post or board, 4, which may, in turn, be placed in a convenient position within doors. This cylinder is provided with a piston, 5, having a piston rod, 6, provided at its outer end with a disk collar, 7, and an extension, 8. The extension 8 is held in longitudinal alinement with the piston rod, 6, by means of a perforated bracket, 9, fastened to the board, 4. Near the upper corners of said support, 3, are

ivoted, as at 10, tripping cranks, 11 and 12. These cranks are provided with inwardly extending arms, 1.3, and downwardly extending arms, 14, said. downwardly extending arms being provided with eyes, 15, for a purpose to be mentioned hereinafter, said inwardly extending arms 13 being provided with pivoted pawls, 16, best shown in Fig. 7. These pawls are bifurcated and embrace re duced portions, 13, on the arms, 13, and are held in pivoted connection therewith by a bolt or the like, 19. The arm 13 is provided with a shoulder, 20, adapted to limit the upward movement of the pawls, 16, by contact with a similar shoulder, 21, on said pawl. The arm, 13, is provided with a flat spring, 22, on its upper surface, held. in place by screws, 23. This spring overlaps the pivoted end of the pawl, 16, and holds said pawl in longitudinal alinement with the arm, 13, as shown in Fig. 7, but permits the vsame to be lowered as shown by the dotted lines.

It will be noticed that the crank 11 is placed on the support 3 at a point some distance lower than the crank, 12. This is desirable because one of the doors is to be closed before the other. It is understood that either one of these cranks can be placed in the uppermost position.

Fastened in the eyes 15 are chains, 24, passing over pulleys, 25 and 25, held in place in brackets, 26, on the side of the support, 3. These chains 24 are connected at their outer ends to releasing pawls, 27, pivoted between spaced cars, 28, on the side of the open-ended cylinder, 29, of the doorway releasing device, generally indicated by the reference numeral 30. This open-ended cylinder is best shown by Fig. 6, and has slidably fitted therein a cylindrical supporting block, 31, having an annular groove, 32 thereon and an upper eye, 33, and a lower eye, 34. Springs 27 a normally hold the pawls 27 in engagement with the grooves 32. Fastened to the eye 34 is a chain, 35, bearing a weight, 86, sufliciently heavy to close the A cock, 59, by which the water may be cut off of the cylinder. In addition, it may be prochain 55 passes over the pulley, 68, near the cook 43 is opened, the lever 44 taking a posidoor by means of a chain, 37 fastened in the 1 eye, 33, and passing over pulleys, 38, if desired, to a sliding door, not shown. Said pawl, 27 is provided with a tooth, adapted to engage the annular groove, 32.

The cylinder 1 may be actuated by steam, compressed air, water, or any convenient fluid. But for convenience of description, water will be considered as the actuating fluid. As shown, the cylinder is provided with a feed pipe, 40, entering the lower end vided with a condensation cylinder, 41, and a drain cock 42. The water is admitted to the cylinder through the feed pipe, 40, by means of a plug cock, 43, actuated by a lever, 44. The upper part of the lever 44 is bent laterally as shown and is provided with an eye, in which is fastened a chain, 46, bearing a lever weight, 47. When the cock 43 is closed, the lever 44 is nearly upright and the weight 47 hangs by means of the chain 46 to the nail 46 in the board 48. In this position the weight 47 does not tend to open the cook, 43. Suitably secured to the board, 4, is a laterally projecting board, 48, on which is mounted a bracket, 49, to which is pivoted a crank, 50, having an inwardly extending arm, 51, and a downwardly extending arm, 52, said downwardly extending arm having a lateral projection, 53. The projection 53 6X- tends behind the lever 44 as shown in Fig. 4, and the lever 44 may lean against said extension. The arm 51 is provided with an eye 54, in which is fastened the hub clasp chain, 55, and a retractile spring, 56, said spring having its lower end fastened in an eye, 57, in a rod, 58, fastened in the upper portion of the support, 3. If desired, the feed pipe 40 may be supplied with a hand-operated stop from the remaining parts of the device when desired. The chain 55 may be extended over convenient pulleys, as 60, to the spring hub clasp, generally indicated by the reference numeral 61. The clasp, 61, consists of a strip of spring steel, 62, or the like, coiled as at 63, its free ends forming arms, 64, having theirends approaching, as shown. Any convenient means, as rings, 65, may be used to connect said-clasp with said :chain, 55.

To be ready for opera-tion, the various parts of my device should be in position as -follows: The clasp, 61, is placed on the hub, 66, of a vehicle wheel, 67, said vehicle being ready to receive a call. The clasp 61 may be in the position shown in Fig. 9, where the floor, thence over any convenient pulleys, as 60, to the crank, 50. I do not wish to limit myself to this arrangement, as the pulley 68 may be on the floor or ceiling, or any other convenient support. The crank, 50, is in the position shown in Fig. 4 before the plug tion against the extension, 53. The piston, 5, should be at its lowermost point, the disk collar 7 being below the cranks 11 and 12, and the pawls 16 being in alinement with the arms, 13. In this position, the chain, 24, should be so adjusted by means of the turnbuckle, 24", that the releasing pawl, 27, is in such a position that the tooth 29 will engage the groove, 32, thus holding the weight 36in its upper position. Beginning with the parts in this initial position, the operation of my device is as follows: The vehicle receiving the call moves away in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 9. This causes the hub 66 to pull on the spring clasp 61 with enough force to raise the arm, v51, before the clasp 61 re leases the hub 66 by allowing the same to pass between the ends 64. The strength of the spring, 62, is just enough to allow the hub to be thus released, after actuating the crank, 51, as .above described. This pull of the chain 55 on the crank 51 causes the extension 53 to push outwardly the lever 44 to such a position that the weight 47 will pull the lever outwardly to the position shown in Fig. 5. This outward movement is limited by a chain 44 fastened at its inner end to the board, 48, and at its outer end to the upper end of the lever 44. This movement of the lever 44 opens the plug cook, 43, and admits the water belowthe piston, 5. This raises the piston 5 and with itthe disk collar 7, said disk collar engaging the pawls 16, thus pulling on the chain 24 and releasing the pawls 27 against the action of the springs, 27 When the pawls, 27, are thus operated, the tooth 29 is disengaged from the groove 32, and the weight 36 acting through the chain 35, the cylindrical supporting block 31 and the chain 37, closes the door to which the end of the chain 37 is fastened. It will be not'iced that the crank 11 will be tripped before the crank 12, thus closing first the door on that side. This relative arrangement of the cranks 11 and 12 may be reversed if desired. In order to set the device to be operated again, it is only necessary to close the plug cock 43., open the drain cook 42, and allow the disk 7 to lower the pawls 16. The cylinder is then in position to be operated again. When the doors are closed, the cylindrical,supporting block, 31, will be drawn into the .openended cylinder 29 and engaged by the pawl, 27, as before.

It is though-t that the construction and operation of my device will be understood without a more detailed description.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and'desire to secure by Letters- Patent, is:

1. In a door-closing device, a weight to close the door, a pawl to release said weight, .a crank with chain connection to operate said pawl, a fluid-operated means to trip said crank, and means adapted to be connected with a vehicle to actuate a valve to supply the fluid to operate the crank-operating means.

2. In a door closing device, a chain connecting with a door, a cylindrical supporting block connected to said chain and a weight connected to said supporting block, an annular groove around said supporting block, a spring-actuated pawl adapted to engage said groove, a support for the pawl and a guide lor the lug, a chain from said pawl to an arm of a double-armed crank pivoted to another support and a fluid cylinder mounted on said second-named support, a piston and piston rod for said cylinder, a disk on said rod adapted to trip said crank, a pipe to conduct a fluid to said cylinder, a valve for the same, a lever adapted to operate said valve, a

weight on the end of said lever, said weight normally under restraint, a crank pivoted to a support and having a lateral extension, said extension being adapted to force said lever to a position when said second-named weight will become operative, a forwardly extending arm for said second-named crank, a chain fastened to said last-named arm, and a spring clasp at the other end ofsaid lastmentioned chain adapted to claspthe hub of a vehicle.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

REUBEN S. CUMMINGS.

Witnesses:

FRANK D. FnIsBIE, FRANK M. GRANT. 

